1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a game and method of playing the same, and more particularly to a game that would be played at a beach, or on a lawn, or in a yard using special marked off areas and a ball and paddles, in accordance with specific rules of play and scoring.
2. Description of Related Art
Various prior art games are well known, but they tend to be relatively complicated and require knowledge and/or skills beyond that of a normal player.
Handball, racquetball and tennis are examples of such games, played on a marked court and requiring a player to make decisions as to whether and where a ball should be played or returned. Each of these known games has specific rules for playing the game.
Applicant is also aware of a number of games protected by U.S. Patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,163,456, 4,248,428, 4,270,757, 4,355,813, 4,523,762, 4,834,392, 4,880,243, 4,979,754 and 5,002,284. These patents disclose apparatus, games or methods for players to play various games on surfaces and/or marked-off areas. However, the known apparatus, games and methods are markedly different than the present invention.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a new game playable by two or four players on a sand or grass surface. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a new game playable with paddles and a special ball, wherein the players must stay in marked-off squares spaced 12 feet apart on a sand or grass surface. And, it is a further particular object of the present invention to play a game in which players utilizing hitting devices hit a projectile back and forth between eight foot squares, spaced twelve feet apart, marked-off on a sand or grass surface, until a winner is determined by the player or players making the fewest mistakes during a single game or a set of games.
The game of the present invention is played by marking off or staking out two or four areas utilizing special circles and ribbons. The marked-off or staked out areas are rectangles placed approximately twelve (12) feet apart, preferably eight foot square and parallel to each other. The special circles forming the corners of each square are held down by being wedged in sand when playing on a beach or other sandy surface, or by a golf tee or other securing element when playing on grass. Other surfaces may, of course, be played on, but best results are obtained when playing on sand or grass.
A special ball or projectile is used of the type that may be hit by a paddle, racquet or other type hitting device, and which projectile does not bounce when it hits sand or a grass surface.
If two players are to play the game, 2 squares are marked-off, while if 4 players are to play 2 sets of adjoining eight foot squares are formed 12 feet apart.
The object of the game of the present invention is to hit the ball into an opposite square (if 2 players) or a directly opposite or diagonally opposite square (if 4 players) and for the opposite or diagonally opposite player to return the ball into the square from which the ball was hit, or a diagonally opposite square. The challenge is how many times the players can hit the ball back and forth without making a mistake. To aid in playing the game, no fast ball serving is permitted, so as to allow the ball to get into play.
The game starts by a volley to serve, when any one of the players serves the ball to another player in an opposite or diagonally opposite square. Then after the ball is hit at least 3 times in a row, the first player to make a mistake allows the opposite, or one of the opposite, players to serve. The serve may be done over or under hand but cannot be fast.
After the serve and during play, with 2 players and 2 squares, the players hit the ball back and forth into the opposite square. If the non-serving player does not return the ball the server is awarded a point. Or, if the non-server hits the ball into the opposite square and it is not returned by the server, then the non-server gets to serve. Play continues until a player reaches 21 points, provided that a win must be by two points, for example 21 to 19. The winning player can also be determined by a set. That is, the first player to win three games wins the set. When playing by the set, the players change sides after each game in the set.
When four players are playing, in sets of two squares beside each other which form one large rectangle (8xe2x80x2xc3x9716xe2x80x2), spaced 12 feet apart, each pair of players stays in her or his own rectangle and can only return a ball which enters such rectangle. All other game rules apply, except that two game sets are required to be played by the four players.